The Role of Fear-avoidance and Helplessness in Explaining Functional Disability in Chronic Pain: a Prospective Study

Overview

Journal Int J Behav Med

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Date 2007 Nov 16

PMID 18001239

Citations 5

Authors

Han J A Samwel

Floris W Kraaimaat

Ben J P Crul

Andrea W M Evers

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: Based on the fear-avoidance and helplessness models, the relative contribution of fear of pain, avoidance behavior, worrying, and helplessness were examined in relation to fluctuations in functional disability in chronic-pain patients.

Methods: A cohort of 181 chronic-pain patients first completed various questionnaires and kept a 7-day pain journal during a standard 3-month waiting-list period prior to their scheduled treatment at an Interdisciplinary Pain Centre and did so again immediately preceding the intervention.

Results: At baseline, fear of pain, avoidance behavior, and helplessness all predicted functional disability after 3 months. Stepwise regression analyses showed avoidance behavior to be the strongest predictor of change in functional disability followed by helplessness, thus both ahead of fear of pain.

Conclusion: The current findings support the roles of both fear-avoidance factors and helplessness in the functional disability in chronic-pain patients awaiting treatment but revealed a central role for avoidance behavior.

Citing Articles

A psychometric evaluation of the Italian short version of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III: Psychometric properties, measurement invariance across gender, convergent, and discriminant validity.

Diotaiuti P, Corrado S, Mancone S, Cavicchiolo E, Chirico A, Siqueira T Front Psychol. 2023; 13:1087055.

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A Network Analysis of the Links Between Chronic Pain Symptoms and Affective Disorder Symptoms.

Thompson E, Broadbent J, Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Bertino M, Staiger P Int J Behav Med. 2018; 26(1):59-68.

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